Small business to be released from antitrust prosecution

13th March 2015

President Vladimir Putin signed a law increasing the amount of damage for the restriction of competition by 10 times

President Vladimir Putin signed a law increasing the amount of damage for the restriction of competition by 10 times. Now Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service will focus its attention on major violations of the law in this field.

The size of a large-scale damage caused to citizens, organizations or the state has been increased from 1 million rubles to 10 million rubles, extra heavy damage - from 3 million rubles to 30 million rubles. The amount of large income received as a result of actions aimed at restricting competition has been increased from 5 million rubles to 50 million rubles, extra large - from 25 million rubles to 250 million rubles.

Restriction of competition will be punished by a fine of 300 to 500 thousand rubles or in the amount of a salary or other income of the convicted for a period from one to two years, or community service, or imprisonment for up to three years with deprivation of the right to occupy certain positions or engage into certain activities for up to one year or without such.

Head of the Legal Department of the Federal Antimonopoly Service Sergey Puzyrevsky, commenting on the draft law, said that the new rules will help to release small companies from prosecution. Instead, SMEs will bear administrative responsibility, - said Sergey Puzyrevsky.